1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to electrochromic devices and, more particularly, to an electrochromic device having a first substrate, a second substrate, a seal member and/or a chamber which comprises a plug associated with a fill port, wherein the plug comprises an antimonate and/or is at least partially cured with an antimonate photo initiator. The present invention further relates to a one- or two-part plug as is disclosed herein, wherein the plug comprises a resin or mixture of resins that are substantially insoluble and/or substantially immiscible with an associated electrochromic medium while in the uncured state.
2. Background Art
Electrochromic (EC) devices have been known in the art for several years. Furthermore, electrochromic devices having plugs associated with fill ports are likewise well known.
Although such fill port plugs have been readily utilized, issues relative to plug compatibility, curability and/or reliability remain paramount to the commercialized success of electrochromic devices such as, for example, electrochromic mirrors, electrochromic windows, and electrochromic aircraft transparencies. Indeed, incomplete plug curing and/or failure can not only render an associated electrochromic device inoperable, but leakage of the electrochromic medium contained within the electrochromic device can also substantially damage the interior of, for example, an automobile, building, and/or aircraft—the owners and/or manufacturers of which can be completely intolerable of such an occurrence. In addition, gas permeability and/or barrier properties of a plug can compromise the longevity and/or functionality of an associated device.
It has now been surprisingly discovered that selective incorporation of one or more antimonate photo initiators into the fill port plug formulation facilitates a more complete cure of the same, which, in turn, increases plug compatibility, curability and/or reliability towards minimization and/or elimination of plug failure. It has further been discovered that such a plug configuration is particularly compatible with not only a conventional seal member, but also a first substrate, a second substrate, and/or a chamber.
Another aspect of the present invention deals with selecting liquid resin monomers or oligomers to use in a plug formulation that are generally not miscible and/or soluble with associated electrochromic media. The solvents used in a typical solution phase electrochromic device are usually very polar in nature. Many uncured resins such as Bis A or Bis F epoxy resins are completely soluble in the liquid or un-gelled electrochromic media. This means that as the uncured plug material is injected into the fill opening some of the plug material can dissolve into the electrochromic (EC) media before the plug can be cured. Generally, the larger the cell gap the more this intermixing occurs. The uncured plug material that dissolves into the electrochromic media is there for the life of the device and can cause premature device failure. These failure modes include electrode passivation, instability in UV, visible hazing of the EC media and/or color change. In accordance with the present invention, resins have been uncovered that are generally not miscible and/or soluble in the polar EC media. If a plug material is formulated using these resins there is little or no intermixing of the uncured plug material and the EC media prior to plug cure. If the insoluble plug material in the cured form does not have all of the attributes that are required of a plug material (such as low oxygen and moisture permeability, good adhesion, high temperature stability, etcetera) this material can be backed up with a secondary plug material of choice that has all these attributes without concern for its interaction with the EC media.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, among other objects, to provide an electrochromic device that remedies the aforementioned detriments and/or complications associated with the use of conventional fill port plugs.